ACTING TERMS

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Across
  1. 5. the body part or feature used by an actor to lead movements; often used to reflect a character’s major personality trait
  2. 6. to leave the stage
  3. 9. to raise the curtain
  4. 11. the marking of a script for one character, indicating interpretation, pauses, phrasing, stress, and so on
  5. 12. a movement in a direction opposite to a cross to balance the stage picture
  6. 13. giving an actor the freedom to move over the entire stage area, usually during a lengthy speech
  7. 15. an acting role with very few lines
  8. 20. getting behind furniture or other actors so that you cannot be seen by the audience
  9. 21. items (properties) such as tools, weapons, or luggage carried onstage by an individual player
  10. 24. half-sheet pages of a script that contain the lines, cues, and business for one character
  11. 26. using dramatic devices, such as increased tempo, volume, and emphasis, to bring a scene to a climax
  12. 27. the main characters in a play or the named characters in a musical
  13. 28. to plan stage business, as to plot the action; to plan a speech by working out the phrasing, emphasis, and inflections
  14. 31. any specific action (other than changing location) performed on the stage, such as picking up a book or turning on a television set
  15. 33. the stage command for actors to take their positions at the opening of an act or scene
  16. 35. notification of an upcoming action or cue; usually indicated in the promptbook
  17. 37. to make a line stronger than the line or lines preceding it by speaking at a higher pitch, at a faster rate, or with greatervolume and emphasis
  18. 42. to speak when someone else is speaking
  19. 43. a distinctive action that serves as a clue to a character’s personality
  20. 44. the part of the stage toward the audience
  21. 46. off the visible stage
  22. 47. who and what are onstage when the curtain opens
  23. 48. to move onto the stage
  24. 49. the analysis of a character
  25. 50. emphasizing an idea
  26. 51. attracting attention from the person to whom the audience’s interest legitimately belongs
Down
  1. 1. waiting for the audience to quiet down after a funny line or scene
  2. 2. the last words, action, or technical effect that immediately precedes any line or business; a stage signal
  3. 3. properties placed onstage for the use of actors
  4. 4. a small acting part that has no lines
  5. 7. the area toward the rear of the stage—away from the audience
  6. 8. to stop action; to omit
  7. 10. to emphasize a word or line with extra force
  8. 14. improperly taking attention from an actor who should be the focus of interest
  9. 16. the speed at which the action of a play moves along
  10. 17. the execution of a line or a piece of business at a specific moment to achieve the most telling effect
  11. 18. to obstruct the view of the audience; use of ad-lib to cover an unexpected, unwanted event during a performance
  12. 19. to draw the maximum response from the audience from comic lines or action
  13. 22. as a technical term, placing furnishings, pictures, and similar items to complete and balance a set; keeping the stage picture balanced during the action
  14. 23. to break into the speech of another character
  15. 25. to improvise stage business or conversation
  16. 28. the movement or sweep of the play as it progresses
  17. 29. an acting role that is used for personality comparison, usually with the main character
  18. 30. on the visible stage
  19. 32. all the stage furnishings, including furniture and those items brought onstage by the actors (props)
  20. 34. the unstated or “between the lines’’ meaning that an actor must draw from the script
  21. 36. the movement by an actor from one location onstage to another
  22. 38. small props that are usually carried in an actor’s costume, such as money, matches, a pipe, or a pen
  23. 39. the area behind the set or that part of the stage that is not visible to the audience, including dressing rooms, shops, and offices
  24. 40. giving lines and action in such a way that another actor can make a point or get a laugh
  25. 41. the last speech in an act or a play, usually humorous or clever
  26. 45. the curtain or drapery that shuts off the stage from the audience; when written in all capital letters in a script, it indicates that the curtain is to be closed
  27. 52. the scenery for an act or a scene